Suction apparatus for liquids and foam



Dec. 13, 1966 c. SEROU ETAL 3,290,865

SU'CTIONAPPARATUS FOR LIQUIDS AND FOAM Filed Sept. 24, 1964 United States Patent 3,290,865 SUCTION APPARATUS FOR LIQUIDS AND FOAM Charles Serou and Leonhard Spiewok, Zurich, Switzerland, assignors to Diethelm & Co. A.-G., Zurich, Switzerland Filed Sept. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 398,910 Claims priority, application Switzerland, Sept. 27, 1963, 11,931/63 Claims. (Cl. 55-216) The present invention broadly has reference to an improved suction apparatus, and, more particularly, to a suction device for liquids and foam.

The so-called industrial vacuum cleaners incorporating a receptacle and an associated motor-blower unit can also be constructed as a suction device for liquids, in order to suck-up the soiled water after washing and sweeping a floor. It is, thus, possible to do away with the tiresome process of mopping or drying the floor.

With heretofore known suction devices of this type a float closes a suction port or intake of the blower unit when a certain liquid head or level has been reached, in order to prevent the liquid from entering the suction fan or blower. It has been found during the operation of such suction devices that a relatively large quantity of foam is formed in the receptacle during the sucking-up of cleansing liquid having detergent-containing or synthetic washing agents. However, the previously employed floats only respond to the liquid head and do not take into consideration the foam which is present. Thus, when the formation of foam is intensive such enters the suction fan, which can result in soiling and corrosion of the latter, as well as clogging of the air-outlet conduit.

In order to overcome such disadvantages the suction arrangement according to the present invention contemplates closing a throughpassage opening in an insert member of the receptacle by means of a float. Furthermore, the float is of such light-weight construction and arranged in such a manner that it can also float upon the occurring foam. Additionally, the suction air stream is guided in the receptacle and through the throughpassage opening such that it does not act upon the float during filling of the receptacle before reaching the useful or working content. However, when the receptacle is filled to a level substantially corresponding to the working content then this suction air stream pulls the float against the throughpassage opening to close the latter. In this manner there can be achieved that practically the entire working content of the receptacle is capable of being filled with liquid and/ or foam, without the danger existing that liquid or foam arrives at the fan or blower unit.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present in vention to provide an improved suction device permitting the filling of its receptacle with liquid and/or foam to a level substantially corresponding to the working or useful content of the receptacle.

Another important object of the present invention concerns itself with a suction device, particularly an industrial vacuum cleaner of the type capable of sucking into a receptacle liquid and/or foam through the action of a motor-blower unit, with means being provided to effectively prevent entry of such liquid and/or foam into the confines of the motor-blower unit, while making the most effective use of the working contents of the receptacle.

Still a further important object of the present invention has reference to the provision of an improved suction device which is relatively simple in construction, highly reliable in operation, easy to handle, and not readily subject to clogging, corrosion or contamination by the materials which are being subjected to suction action.

Other features, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description and drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a suction device designed according to the invention, partly in vertical cross-section, taken along the line I-I of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the suction device of FIGURE 1, taken along the line IIII thereof.

Describing now the drawing, it will be seen that a motorblower unit, generally designated by reference numeral 2, and of known construction, is mounted upon a receptacle or container 1 constructed in the form of a vessel. Between the receptacle 1 and the motor-blower unit 2 there is disposed an insert member, here shown in the form of an insert plate or bowl 3 or the like. This insert member or plate 3 is fixedly held all around in airtight manner between the receptacle 1 and the motorblower unit 2, for which purpose there is employed an appropriate seal 2a.

The floor 3b of the insert plate 3 is provided with an eccentrically arranged throughpassage opening 4 which is bounded by a rubber ring 5 having conical inner walls 5a, said rubber ring being mounted to the underface 3a of the aforesaid insert plate 3. A metal bracket or stirrup 6 extends over and past the throughpassage opening 4, bearing against the inner or upper face 30 of the floor 3b of such insert plate 3. A rod 8 is connected at one end through the agency of a nut 7 or the like to this bracket 6. It will also be seen that this rod 8 piercingly extends in its other end through a hole 9a provided at a member 9 of a wire frame 10 arranged at the insert plate 3. This rod 8 is releasably fixedly clamped against the member 9 by means of a winged nut 11.

A guide disk or plate 12, serving as a closure means for the throughpassage opening 4, as will be more fully explained hereinafter, is displaceably seated upon the rod 8. It will be understood that the bottom face 12:; of this guide disk 12 bears against a non-visible shoulder of the rod 8 and at its upper face 12b is acted upon by a pressure spring 13. This valve-type guide disk 12 possesses a conical outer surface 12c which, together with the conical inner surface 5a of the rubber ring 5, forms a conical throughpassage opening 20.

A float valve 14 provided with a central bore 14a is displaceably guided upon the rod member 8. This float 14 is of light-weight construction, advantageously being formed of foam or aerated synthetic plastic of a certain specific gravity and, therefore, is so light that it can also float upon a soft foam 16 formed above the liquid 15. As best seen by inspecting FIGURE 2, the wire frame 10 is provided at one location of its circumference with a sectorlike recess 17 into which can enter the inwardly projecting portion above the inner wall of the receptacle 1 of an intake or suction nipple or pipe 13. Thus, due to these measures the frame 10 can only be mounted in the illustrated rotational position within the receptacle 1. As a result, the rod 8 together with the float 14 and the throughpassage openings 4 and 20 are arranged angularly displaced with respect to the recess 17 in the direction of the outlet opening of the suction nipple 18; in other words such rod 8, float 14, and throughpassage openings 4 and 20 are angularly displaced through an angle greater than 270 with respect to the sense of rotation of the air current moving through the suction nipple 18 and circulating clockwise within the receptacle 1. Furthermore, a guide plate or sheet 19 is connected to the frame 10, serving to deflect the suction air stream, circulating in clockwise direction in the receptacle 1, away from the float 14.

It will be appreciated that when liquid is sucked-in through the suction nipple 18 and there is still only a small amount of liquid and foam in the receptacle 1, then,

the float member 14, as shown in phantom lines at 14a, bears against the member or portion 9 of the frame 10, since the suction air stream by virtue of the displaced arrangement of the air throughpassage means 4, 20 and due to the guide sheet 19, as well as the conical construction of the throughpassage means, is guided between the guide disk 12 and the rubber ring in such a manner that in this position of the float 14 it does not act upon the latter. As soon as the filled level of liquid and/ or foam has reached a certain value the float 14 begins to float and is raised, as clearly shown by the full-line position of FIGURE 1. Only when reaching the useful or working capacity of the receptacle 1 does the float 14 arrive at the zone of the air stream shaped in the approximate form of an upwardly convergent conical shell by the aforementioned conical throughpassage 20. Now, the float 14 is quickly pulled-up by this air stream and pressed towards the rubber ring 5. As a result, the suction opening 4 is sealed so that a negative pressure or vacuum is no longer present in the receptacle 1 and liquid or foam can no longer be sucked-up.

During the quick-closing movement of the float 14 such has somewhat upwardly entrained the guide disk 12 against the action of the spring 13, so that after shuttingoff the motor-blower unit 2 this guide disk 12 is moved back under the action of the spring 13, with the float 14 being raised from the rubber ring 5 and falling back.

While there is shown and described a present preferred embodiment of the invention it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied and practised within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A suction cleaner for picking up liquid and foam, including: a receptacle for receiving liquid and foam, said receptacle having an upstanding substantially round wall and defining a vertical central axis; a motor-blower unit located above said receptacle for creating a negative pressure within the receptacle for sucking therein liquid and foam; a fluid-tight member located between said unit and said receptacle, for preventing foam from entering said unit; an intake opening in said wall of said receptacle, located below said member, for sucking liquid, foam, and air into the receptacle; means associated with said intake opening for directing the sucked air in a circular path within the receptacle; a round opening associated with said member, located between said wall and said central axis of the receptacle and more than 270 from said intake opening in the direction of movement of the air in said circular path, said round opening having a truncated upwardly convergent conical inner surface; a float valve in said receptacle vertically aligned with said round opening and vertically freely movable between a lower position and an upper position in which said float valve closes said round opening, said float valve being sufficiently light to float on the foam collected in the receptacle and rising in response to the rising foam level; a truncated upwardly convergent conical member located within said opening, the included angle of said inner surface and of said conical member being substantially equal, said conical member and said conical inner surface defining a passage, communicating between the receptacle and the motor-blower unit, in the form of an upwardly convergent conical shell, whereby the air is drawn through said passage approximately in the shape of an upwardly convergent conical shell which does not entrain in its path said float for all positions thereof, and raise said float valve to said upper position, until the useful foam capacity of said receptacle is reached; and means located in said receptacle for deflecting said circular path from said float.

2. Suction cleaner as defined in claim 1 including a rod valve mounted within said receptacle, said float valve being provided with a central bore and displaceably guided upon said rod valve, said float valve being formed of aerated plastic.

3. Suction cleaner as defined in claim 2, wherein said conical member is mounted on said rod member, and including means for detachably connecting said rod member to said fluid-tight member.

4. Suction cleaner as defined in claim 1, wherein said round opening includes an elastic ring on said fluid-tight member and having said conical inner surface and located between said fluid-tight member and said float valve and against which said float valve abuts in said upper position.

5. Suction cleaner as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for deflecting the circular path is a plate located upstream of said float valve.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,116,931 11/1914 Schutt 216X 1,784,664 12/1930 Eickholt 55219 2,534,808 12/1950 Bevington et al 55216 X 2,797,701 7/ 1957 Nurkiewicz 251368 X 3,173,164 3/1965 Congdon.

FOREIGN PATENTS 665,265 6/ 1963 Canada.

ROBERT F. BURNETT, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SUCTION CLEANER FOR PICKING UP LIQUID AND FOAM, INCLUDING: A RECEPTACLE FOR RECEIVING LIQUID AND FOAM, SAID RECEPTACLE HAVING AN UPSTANDING SUBSTANTIALLY ROUND WALL AND DEFINING A VERTICAL CENTRAL AXIS; A MOTOR-BLOWER UNIT LOCATED ABOVE SAID RECEPTACLE FOR CREATING A NEGATIVE PRESSURE WITHIN THE RECEPTACLE FOR SUCKING THEREIN LIQUID AND FOAM; A FLUID-TIGHT MEMBER LOCATED BETWEEN SAID UNIT AND SAID RECEPTACLE, FOR PREVENTING FOAM FROM ENTERING SAID UNIT; AN INTAKE OPENING IN SAID WALL OF SAID RECEPTACLE, LOCATED BELOW SAID MEMBER, FOR SUCKING LIQUID, FOAM, AND AIR INTO THE RECEPTACLE; MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID INTAKE OPENING FOR DIRECTING THE SUCKED AIR IN A CIRCULAR PATH WITHIN THE RECEPTACLE; A ROUND OPENING ASSOCIATED WITH SAID MEMBER, LOCATED BETWEEN SAID WALL AND SAID CENTRAL AXIS OF THE RECEPTACLE AND MORE THAN 270* FROM SAID INTAKE OPENING IN THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE AIR IN SAID CIRCULAR PATH, SAID ROUND OPENING HAVING A TRUNCATED UPWARDLY CONVERGENT CONICAL INNER SURFACE; A FLOAT VALVE IN SAID RECEPTACLE VERTICALLY ALIGNED WITH SAID ROUND OPENING AND VERTICALLY FREELY MOVABLE BETWEEN A LOWER POSITION AND AN UPPER POSITION IN WHICH SAID FLOAT VALVE CLOSES SAID ROUND OPENING, SAID FLOAT VALVE BEING SUFFICIENTLY LIGHT TO FLOAT ON THE FOAM COLLECTED IN THE RECEPTACLE AND RISING IN RESPONSE TO THE RISING FOAM LEVEL; A TRUNCATED UPWARDLY CONVERGENT CONICAL MEMBER LOCATED WITHIN SAID OPENING, THE INCLUDED ANGLE OF SAID INNER SURFACE AND OF SAID CONICAL MEMBER BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL, SAID CONICAL MEMBER AND SAID CONICAL INNER SURFACE DEFINING A PASSAGE, COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE RECEPTACLE AND THE MOTOR-BLOWER UNIT, IN THE FORM OF AN UPWARDLY CONVERGENT CONICAL SHELL, WHEREBY THE AIR IS DRAWN THROUGH SAID PASSAGE APPROXIMATELY IN THE SHAPE OF AN UPWARDLY CONVERGENT CONICAL SHELL WHICH DOES NOT ENTRAIN IN ITS PATH SAID FLOAT FOR ALL POSITIONS THEREOF, AND RAISE SAID FLOAT VALVE TO SAID UPPER POSITION, UNTIL THE USEFUL FOAM CAPACITY OF SAID RECEPTACLE IS REACHED; AND MEANS LOCATED IN SAID RECEPTACLE FOR DEFLECTING SAID CIRCULAR PATH FROM SAID FLOAT. 